Deconstruction of cellulose, the most abundant plant cell wall polysaccharide, requires the cooperative activity of a large repertoire of microbial enzymes. Modular cellulases contain non-catalytic type A Carbohydrate-Binding Modules (CBMs) that specifically bind to the crystalline regions of cellulose, thus promoting enzyme efficacy through proximity and targeting effects. Although type A CBMs play a critical role in cellulose recycling, their mechanism of action remains poorly understood. Here we produced a library of recombinant CBMs representative of the known diversity of type A modules. The binding properties of 40 CBMs, in fusion with an N-terminal green fluorescence protein (GFP) domain, revealed that type A CBMs possess the ability to recognize different crystalline forms of cellulose and chitin over a wide range of temperatures, pHs and ionic strengths. A Spirochaeta thermophila CBM64, in particular, displayed plasticity in its capacity to bind both crystalline and soluble carbohydrates under a wide range of extreme conditions. The structure of S. thermophila StCBM64C revealed an untwisted, flat, carbohydrate-binding interface comprising the side chains of four tryptophan residues in a coplanar linear arrangement. Significantly, two highly conserved asparagine side chains, each one located between two tryptophan residues, are critical to insoluble and soluble glucan recognition but not to bind xyloglucan. Thus, CBM64 compact structure and its extended and versatile ligand interacting platform illustrates how type A CBMs target their appended plant cell wall degrading enzymes to a diversity of recalcitrant carbohydrates under a wide range of environmental conditions.

In this paper, an innovative approach for monitoring home electric power quality indicators is presented. Using an electric power analysis device (for this work purpose it will be a smart-meter) and a personal computer it is proved that it is possible to monitor and register electric power quality anomalies, such as long interruptions, voltage dips/swells and frequency oscillations. Through an application developed in Java, a user can view real-time electric parameters, check for electric power quality anomalies and assess load diagram of previous days. Experimental results regarding the application performance are also presented with the respective conclusions.

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With the objective of having a solar thermoelectric system, running for 24 h a day along the different seasons of the year it is necessary to dimension the adequate storage and back-up systems. The choice of the back-up source of energy depends on how sustainable the power plant should be. In this study, the choice was the use of biomass in order to have a 100{%} renewable power plant. The selected site was the Alentejo region (Portugal). The local Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI) data was used to simulate with the System Advisor Model program (SAM) considering a solar system with north field and molten salt storage. The system needs no back-up during three months in a year. The use of biomass pellets is a viable alternative because it makes the power plant 100{%} renewable and dispatchable without loss of energy due to over-dimension of the expensive solar field and molten storage system.

The Late Triassic (Norian–early Rhaetian) Fleming Fjord Formation of central East Greenland preserves a diverse fossil fauna, including both body and trace fossils. Trackways of large quadrupedal archosaurs, although already reported in 1994 and mentioned in subsequent publications, are here described and figured in detail for the first time, based on photogrammetric data collected during fieldwork in 2012. Two trackways can be referred to Eosauropus, while a third, bipedal trackway may be referred to Evazoum, both of which have been considered to represent sauropodomorph dinosaur tracks. Both the Evazoum and the Eosauropus trackways are distinctly larger than other trackways referred to the respective ichnogenera. The trackmaker of the best preserved Eosauropus trackway is constrained using a synapomorphy-based approach. The quadrupedal posture, the entaxonic pes structure, and five weight-bearing digits indicate a derived sauropodiform trackmaker. Other features exhibited by the tracks, including the semi-digitigrade pes and the laterally deflected unguals, are commonly considered synapomorphies of more exclusive clades within Sauropoda. The present trackway documents an early acquisition of a eusauropod-like pes anatomy while retaining a well-developed claw on pedal digit IV, which is reduced in eusauropods. Although unequivocal evidence for sauropod dinosaurs is no older than the Early Jurassic, the present trackway provides evidence for a possible Triassic origin of the group.

The key step of the analog active filter design is the optimal selection of component values due to manufactured series (E12, E24, E48, E96 and E192). In this paper, four simulation-based metaheuristics are applied to optimize four active filters using commercials available ICs as building blocks. The emphasis of this work is applying Richardson extrapolation-based sensitivity analysis in the optimization process of analog active filters. Indeed, Richardson extrapolation technique facilitates the calculation of the partial derivatives for the sensitivity using the simulation-based evaluation, without an explicit mathematical expression. Viability and benefits of the sensitivity analysis are highlighted. Monte Carlo analysis is performed in order to investigate robustness of the proposed sensitivity analysis of the active filters in case of component value variations due to specified tolerances of manufactured series.

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The assessment and the role it should be assumed by the summative and formative component are often a reason for discussion. It is therefore important to understand how the teacher assessment practices are characterized and what influences them. That is, identify aspects taken into account when planning assessment; the (dis)continuities between assessment and learning; the divergences/consonances between assessment planned and implemented. The conclusions reached point to a strong influence of peers, to the assessment criteria of the school and to the students’ characteristics, in a scenario where the test is the dominant element in assessment.

Abstract Strengthening of concrete structures with a new concrete layer has been commonly used for columns, beams and slabs. This technique is economic and efficient for structural strengthening since it uses the same base materials, steel and concrete. It is usually applied on the compressed face of the concrete element due to concrete’s recognized behaviour under compression, posing several challenges to control cracking and resistance when applied on the tensile face. For assessing the performance of the strengthening method, twelve slab specimens were designed and tested monotonically. The main parameters to assess in this work were the debonding behaviour and load, and the relationship between the latter and the relative displacements at the interface of the two concrete layers. The performance of the strengthened structures strongly relies on the interaction of the two concrete layers, with this being the main subject of the research about overlaid concrete. The load transfer capacity of the interface depends on the interface shear strength, which in turn is highly dependable on substrate roughness, cleanliness and curing conditions of the newly added layer. Interface performance may be improved by using steel connectors crossing the interface, properly anchored on both layers. The importance for these elements grows as the existing concrete is more deteriorated, since adhesion strength will decrease with lower quality concrete. This paper presents the experimental research for the application of bonded concrete overlays on the tensile face of reinforced concrete slabs, mainly aimed at office buildings and parking facilities, where spatial clearances or inaccessibility to the lower side of the slabs are recurrent. A ductile behaviour upon debonding was achieved for the specimens with reinforcement crossing the interface, and a debonding load up to three times that of the reference specimens without reinforcement crossing the interface.

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